Subject:
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Appointments to the Tourist Development Council (Board of County Commissioners as a whole).
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Recommended Action:
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Approve seven appointments to the Tourist Development Council (TDC) for a four-year term. These terms will begin on November 1, 2020 and expire on October 31, 2024.
• Seven positions are open for the TDC appointments. Three of these must be from the elected official’s category-one from the City of St. Petersburg, one from the City of Clearwater and one from the recommendations provided by the BIG-C.
• Of the four remaining, one must be from the Tourism-Related Category and at least two must be from the Hotel/Motel Category. The remaining one appointment can be from either the Tourism Related or from the Hotel/Motel Category.
• There are multiple applicants for these seven appointments.
• The applicant’s names can be viewed on the attached ballot/worksheet.
• Ballots are attached to the agenda item and copies were provided to the Chair’s office.
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Background Information:
The Tourist Development Council (TDC) was established in Section 118-34, Pinellas County Code, enacted pursuant to §125.0104, Florida Statutes. The TDC makes recommendations to the Pinellas County Board of County Commissioners (BCC) for the effective operation of the special projects or uses of the tourist development tax revenue and may perform such other duties or functions as may be prescribed by ordinance or resolution. The Council shall continuously review all expenditures of revenue raised by the tax levied by this article, make expenditure reports (at least quarterly), and report to the Pinellas County Board of County Commissioners all expenditures believed to be unauthorized under this article.
The TDC is composed of 12 members who shall be appointed by the BCC. The chair of the BCC or any other County Commissioner designated by the chair shall serve as the chair of the TDC. Four members of the TDC shall be elected municipal officials, one from the most populous municipality in Pinellas County (City of St. Petersburg), one from the municipality in which the greatest percentage of tourist development tax revenue is generated in Pinellas County (City of Clearwater), one from among the cities of Belleair Beach, Belleair Shores, Indian Rocks Beach, Indian Shores, Madeira Beach, North Redington Beach, Redington Beach, Redington Shores, St. Pete Beach, and Treasure Island, and one from a city in Pinellas County that is not specifically named in this section. Seven members of the TDC shall be persons who are involved in the tourist industry and who have demonstrated an interest in tourist development, of which not less than three nor more than four members shall be owners or operators of motels, hotels, recreational vehicle parks, or other tourist accommodations in the County and subject to the tax. All members of the TDC shall be electors of the county. The members of the TDC shall serve for staggered terms of four years.
Attachments:
Applications/Resumes
TDC Roster NOT Redacted
BIG-C E-mail providing nominees
TDC Vacancy Memo
TDC Ballot
Partner(s):
Steve Hayes, CEO/President, VSPC and Executive Director, Tourist Development Council
Michael Zas, County Attorney